Weekly Media Roundup

December 01, 2016 at 5:53 PM

Family violence perpetrators need better response

The call for improved responses is made in a paper published today by the New Zealand Family Violence Clearinghouse.

“Victims of family violence absolutely need specialist services and support to enable their safety and recovery,” says author Professor Devon Polaschek, from Victoria University of Wellington’s School of Psychology.

“To reduce rates of family violence, we also need to invest in a system that responds to perpetrators.

“New Zealand has no such system and responses are piecemeal, insufficient and mired in a complex web of bureaucracy.”

Justice delayed, justice denied

Judge 'lost faith' in govt's handling of state care child abuse

The judge who chaired a panel which heard from children abused in state care says there is no guarantee of the future safety of children unless an an independent body is set up to investigate.

Judge Carolyn Henwood also told Morning Report today that she lost faith in the way the government and the minister dealing with the abuse claims, when Social Development Minister Anne Tolley said about 3.5 percent of children placed in state care had made claims around abuse.

Toby Manhire: We need an inquiry now into child abuse in state care

Among the things Anne Tolley said during an engrossing interview this week with Kim Hill, on the subject of historic child abuse in state care, was this: "In some cases they've had an apology from me, and I was only a child at the time."

For straw-bombshell moments it was up there with Gerry Brownlee's recent revelation that geologists cannot actually stop earthquakes. It turns out that the current minister of social development was not a government minister, nor even a grown-up, from the 1940s through to the 1980s, when more than a thousand children suffered appalling abuse. She was only a child at the time, apparently, and are you suggesting eight-year-old Anne should have swept through the foster homes and borstals of the country, rescuing the poor wretches?

Minister questioned over new CYF law

The government is pushing ahead with its plans to introduce a bill that could remove more Māori children from their family and wider whānau.

The legislation is the second piece of work to overhaul Child, Youth and Family as it becomes the Ministry for Vulnerable Children, Oranga Tamariki.

The current Children, Young Persons and Their Families Act gives priority to placing a child with a member of their family or wider hapū and if that is not possible, then to someone who has the same tribal, racial or cultural background as the child.

The proposed legislation, being introduced in the next couple of weeks, removes that priority.

Another West Auckland abduction attempt

Another attempted child abduction has been reported in West Auckland, as police continue to hunt for the man who sexually assaulted an 11-year-old boy.

On Wednesday afternoon, an intermediate-aged girl was reportedly asked to get in a man's car on Summerland Drive, Henderson and a 17-year-old girl was followed by a dark coloured ute on nearby Lake Panorama Drive.

Our kids at risk: How 77 kids have died in NZ state care

Almost 80 children have died in the care of the New Zealand state in the past 15 years - an average of five a year.

Data released by the Ministry of Social Development under the Official Information Act show that 38 children died of natural causes while in state care, 19 died in accidents, 14 committed suicide and six were victims of child abuse, homicide or manslaughter.

The worst years were 2004-05 and 2006-07, when nine children died in each year.

Tongan women's group hits back at survey critics

A Tonga women's rights organisation says critics of a survey showing 77 percent of women have experienced physical or sexual violence are in denial.

Last week, the Internal Affairs Minister Penisimani Fifita referred to the survey conducted by the Ma'a Fafine mo e Famili organisation at the launch of a 16-day anti-domestic violence campaign.

The project co-ordinator for the organisation, Gabriella 'Ilolahia, said the study, which was released in 2012, had been criticised by members of the public for exposing a shameful aspect of Tonga's culture.

Domestic violence victims employment bill drawn from ballot

A member's bill giving employment protection to victims of domestic violence has been drawn from the ballot today.

The bill, in the name of Green MP Jan Logie, aims to make it easier for victims who are being prevented from leaving home or working effectively, or, in the most extreme cases, are being stalked at work.